Ransom of Red Chief
Movie and Book Compare and Contrast
What happens when a twelve-year-old boy gets kidnapped and taken up to a cave by two, inexperienced kidnappers wanting ransom money from his wealthy father? In the movie and book, O. Henry introduces you to the agitating Red Chief, foolish Bill, and canny Sam on their mischievous adventure of kidnapping in the early 1900’s.
In the book, Ransom of Red Chief, the child, Johnny, had bright orange hair. “The color of a magazine you buy at the newsstand when you want to catch a train.”(Pg. 71) After Bill and Sam kidnap him, they go up a mountain and hide in a cave. They send a letter to his parents, regarding how much money they would have to pay in order for his return. Red Chief caused so much trouble with Bill that by the end of the book, Bill HAD to send him home, but he would not leave. He enjoyed staying out in the forest and he would not stop talking and being a hassle for Bill and Sam. One cold night in the mountains gets to you. Ask Bill. He will be able to tell you about the time that Red Chief took a scalding hot potato, and put it down Bill’s back! When Johnny was supposed to be the abductee, Bill and Sam ended up being more like the hostage to the him!
In the movie version, Johnny Dorset was setting a bomb off in mailbox when Bill and Sam came along and shoved poor Johnny into a box and drove away. But instead of going to a cave atop a hill, they just drove deep into the forest – away from civilization of course. One night when Red Chief could not sleep, he decided to pull a prank on Bill. He took a little twig and started it on fire. He then decided that Bill’s toes would of froze off without heat, so he lit his sock on fire! So now you ask yourself, “When is this kid not being a hassle and or troublemaker?” The answer, simply NO! The net morning, Johnny decided he wanted his drivers licenses. That’s right, he took their car and started driving it - down a hill. In another added scene of unneeded teasing, Johnny took a snake and placed it in Bill’s bed, so when Bill lied down, he would feel a bedmate slithering beside him.
The movie and the book had the same main plot idea. For example, in the movie and the book, they have the same idea of kidnapping Johnny and waiting for the ransom money from his parents. He did enjoy staying with them and he liked teasing Bill. An example of this teasing would be when Red Chief starting “scalping” him or cutting his hair off. When he took the role of Red Chief in a game they played, where he was the tribe chief and Bill and Sam were hostages. Many more exciting events occurred to, like when Sam drove into town to hear if there was any fuss over the missing child.
The movie has different ways of expressing emotion than the book. The book uses details that you have to imagine. The movie shows emotion and shows you what you want to know and leaves out little details about certain things. Either way, they both are great ways to tell a story.
Alli Stendler
ELA-6
October 19, 2010
Ransom of Red Chief
Movie and Book Compare and Contrast
What happens when a twelve-year-old boy gets kidnapped and taken up to a cave by two, inexperienced kidnappers wanting ransom money from his wealthy father? In the movie and book, O. Henry introduces you to the agitating Red Chief, foolish Bill, and canny Sam on their mischievous adventure of kidnapping in the early 1900’s.
In the book, Ransom of Red Chief, the child, Johnny, had bright orange hair. “The color of a magazine you buy at the newsstand when you want to catch a train.”(Pg. 71) After Bill and Sam kidnap him, they go up a mountain and hide in a cave. They send a letter to his parents, regarding how much money they would have to pay in order for his return. Red Chief caused so much trouble with Bill that by the end of the book, Bill HAD to send him home, but he would not leave. He enjoyed staying out in the forest and he would not stop talking and being a hassle for Bill and Sam. One cold night in the mountains gets to you. Ask Bill. He will be able to tell you about the time that Red Chief took a scalding hot potato, and put it down Bill’s back! When Johnny was supposed to be the abductee, Bill and Sam ended up being more like the hostage to the him!
In the movie version, Johnny Dorset was setting a bomb off in mailbox when Bill and Sam came along and shoved poor Johnny into a box and drove away. But instead of going to a cave atop a hill, they just drove deep into the forest – away from civilization of course. One night when Red Chief could not sleep, he decided to pull a prank on Bill. He took a little twig and started it on fire. He then decided that Bill’s toes would of froze off without heat, so he lit his sock on fire! So now you ask yourself, “When is this kid not being a hassle and or troublemaker?” The answer, simply NO! The net morning, Johnny decided he wanted his drivers licenses. That’s right, he took their car and started driving it - down a hill. In another added scene of unneeded teasing, Johnny took a snake and placed it in Bill’s bed, so when Bill lied down, he would feel a bedmate slithering beside him.
The movie and the book had the same main plot idea. For example, in the movie and the book, they have the same idea of kidnapping Johnny and waiting for the ransom money from his parents. He did enjoy staying with them and he liked teasing Bill. An example of this teasing would be when Red Chief starting “scalping” him or cutting his hair off. When he took the role of Red Chief in a game they played, where he was the tribe chief and Bill and Sam were hostages. Many more exciting events occurred to, like when Sam drove into town to hear if there was any fuss over the missing child.
The movie has different ways of expressing emotion than the book. The book uses details that you have to imagine. The movie shows emotion and shows you what you want to know and leaves out little details about certain things. Either way, they both are great ways to tell a story.